The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a final "conspicuity" rule requiring over-the-road trailers that are built on or after Dec. 1, 1993 to be equipped with retroreflective sheeting. This rule was published in the Federal Register, Vol. 57, No. 238, Thursday, Dec. 10, 1992, pages 58406-58413.
The rule, mandated by the Motor Carrier Safety Act of 1990, applies to new trailers with an overall width of 80 inches or more and a gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr) of more than 10,000 pounds. It applies to a great number of trailers having a generally rectangular shape, but also includes some trailers with unusual shapes on which compliance will be difficult. These unusually shaped trailers include pole trailers, tankers, car haulers, container chassis and other specialty equipment.
The patterns and dimensions of the reflective material as applied to the various trailers will vary some with obstructions, trailer shape, and other practical considerations, but the basic requirement is as follows:
Reflective sheeting must be applied in strips in a pattern of alternating white and red color segments to the side and rear of the trailer and in white only to the upper rear corners of the trailer. The reflective strips must be in widths of 50, 75, or 100 millimeters and in lengths of approximately 300 millimeters.
Rear reflective markings will include three elements:
(1) Horizontal reflective strips in alternating white and red colors across the full width of the trailer as close to the edges and as close to 1.25 meters from the road surface as practicable.
(2) Two pairs of white reflective strips applied horizontally and vertically to the right and left upper corner of the trailer body as close to the top and as far apart as possible.
(3) A reflective sheeting in alternating colors across the full width of the rear underside protection device of the trailer.
Side reflecting marking will include a pattern of horizontal strips in alternating colors, white and red, originating and terminating as close to the front and rear ends of the trailer and as close to 1.25 meters above the road surface as practicable.
It would be a decided advantage in the industry to have a dispenser and method capable of readily dispensing the relatively short strips of adhesive reflective sheeting required by the above rule at a selected spacing between successive strips. Such adhesive reflective sheeting is generally supplied in a lengthy roll on a paper core for ease of dispensing. The roll has a continuous length of substrate liner on which are mounted a series successive adhesive reflective strips. The adhesive reflective sheeting is reflective on one side for the viewing thereof and has the adhesive applied to the opposing side for a bonding application to a surface. The liner is applied to the adhesive-bearing side. The liner is removed prior to application of the reflective sheeting to a surface. The liner material is chosen such that the adhesive bond between the liner and the adhesive material is less than the adhesive bond between the reflective adhesive strips. This facilitates peeling the liner from the reflective sheeting and leaving the adhesive material in place on the adhesive reflective strips in order to form the bond with the surface to which the reflective sheeting is applied.
The applicator should be hand held and be capable of being operated easily by a sole operator. The applicator should be relatively light weight in order to minimize operator fatigue. It is very important that a continuous applying motion across a length of surface result in the application of spaced apart strips of reflective sheeting on the surface. The applicator should readily feed successive adhesive reflective sheeting for application to a surface, leaving a space of selected length between the preceding strip of adhesive reflective sheeting and the successive strip of adhesive reflective sheeting as desired without any activating action by the operator to advance successive strips of reflective sheeting. The applicator should additionally be useful in applying die cut labels and the like supplied from a roll successively onto a surface.
The applicator should provide for a clean, positive separation of the liner from the adhesive reflective strips. In the past, such separation has on occasion been hampered by an adhesive bond between the liner and the adhesive layer that tends to pull the liner along with the adhesive reflective sheeting as the adhesive reflective sheeting is being laid down on the surface.